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Global drivers of aquatic plant height
Yang Liu, Janne Alahuhta, Kenneth T. Martinsen, Kevin Murphy, Wei Li, Yu Cao, Lars Baastrup-Spohr, Lars L. Iversen,
Plant height is a key functional trait reflecting ecological and physiological adaptations. Terrestrial plant height decreases with latitude due to water availability and temperature, the drivers of aquatic plant height remain unknown. Unlike terrestrial plants, aquatic species thrive in water-abundant environments, where temperature, water depth, and inorganic carbon availability (CO₂ and bicarbonate) play pivotal roles. Analyzing height, life form, and global distribution data for 1735 aquatic plant species, we found distinct latitudinal patterns: emergent plant height decreased with latitude, driven by temperature, while submerged plant height increased, influenced by both temperature and inorganic carbon availability. Bicarbonate, the dominant inorganic carbon form in freshwater, supported greater heights in bicarbonate-using submerged plants compared to CO₂-dependent species in carbon-limited conditions. These findings highlight temperature as the primary driver of aquatic plant height patterns, with biochemical factors like inorganic carbon shaping trait-environment interactions and providing new insights into aquatic plant adaptations to global changes.
